Clay shingle block and wall construction



A. HARDONCOURT. JR

CLAY SHINGLE BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 15, 1918 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 7, I923.

ARTHUR HARDONCOURT, JR, OF RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK.

CLAY SHINGLE BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed April is, 1918. Serial No. 228,471.

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR I-IARDON-H COURT, J12, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, and resident of Richmond Hill, county of Queens, State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Clay Shingle Blocks and WVall Constructions, .of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

The object of the present invention is to provide a building unit of clay, preferably formed ho low and preferably also formed as an interlocking block, producing a wall structure which will simulate in appearance, effect, and weatherproofness, the usual type of shingle wall construction.

The many advantages to the use of burned clay in the form of brick, hollow tile, channel brick, or the like, for use in wall construction, are well known, but heretofore, so far as I am aware, the architectural limitations of burned clay as a building unit have been confined to the standard types of vertical brick or tile wall construction. I believe that it is a distinct novelty in this art to provide a building unit of burned clay, which will reproduce and simulate the effect of a shingle wall construction. I also believe it to be distinctly new to provide a building unit of burned clay which shall possess the advantages incident to the overlapping effect secured by shingle construction. as well as the interlocking effect so produced. Furthermore, I consider the nroduction of a building unit with a slanting rain shedding face, and having the body portion built into the vertical part of the wall and preferably of a substantial wall thickness to be distinctly new. Therefore. I wish to claim these various features broadly herein.

In the present application I have illustrated a preferred type of building unit having the slanting face, overlapping front and interlocking features above briefly described, incorporated in a building unit for a standard eight inch wall, formed with a plurality of horizontally extending air spaces. In my copending application, Ser. No. 228,549, filed April 15, 1918,Ihave illustrated a type of wall construction simulating, the features of a shingle wall with the overlapping and inclined outer faces, but in a different type of unit, consisting in vertically extending air spaces, a predetermined number of such vertical spaces being filled with mortar where desired. Both these types of shingle-like building units of burned clay are also illustrated in several modifications.

In my present application I provide a building unit of burned clay which can be advantageously and economically manufactured in the usual type of die machine, enabling a continuous process of manufacture to be carried out. Such building unit is also preferably formed with the outer exposed or finished face suitably inclined to still further simulate the overlapping shingle-like effect desired, and with an overlapping and interlocking portion to still further resemble a shingle wall and to protect the horizontal mortar course, conceal the same. and shed water therefrom, insuring a moistureproof construction. 7 By forming the block of a size equal to the exposed face of shingle wall construction. I am thus enabled to untilize a relatively large sized clay building unit and yet to produce the architectural effect of a finished wall and one to which'the eye is accustomed. Heretofore the use of large sized hollow blocks for building units has been considered most unsightly, and it has, therefore, been necessary to add a facing of brick, mortar or other finishing to render a 'wall built of large blocks suitably finished and sightly. By producing the shingle effect,- however, I am enabled to employ such large sized building units with added architectural effect, and with all the speed in building,handling, etc, incident to the use of such large sized units.

Referring to the drawings illustrating the invention, Fig. 1 is a view in perspective, of my novel type of interlocking block.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of my novel type of interchangeable or reversible block.

As-shown in Fig. 1, this type of shingle block comprises a hollow clay unit with a front face 1 inclined and having the lowermost projecting portion or flange 2 extending below the lower or bottom bed 3 of the block, the back or rear face 4 being formed vertically or at right angles to the lower bed 3 and thetop' or upper bed 5.

This type of block as shown is of suitable size to simulate a shingle with the exposed face -1 of similar size and dimension to that of the standard shingle wall construction, or approximately 7 by although it will be understood t at any other size and area can be employed. With this type of block I prefer to form a plurality of air spaces running horizontally and formed as the material is forced out of the die, these horizontal air spaces 6, 7, 8, and 9 being defined by the vertical web 10 and the horizontal web 11. This arrangement with the relatively thick face 1, vertical back or rear wall 4, and intermediate vertical web 10, produces a strong, solid, load-carrying wall structure. This block also is hrovided with the projecting rib 12 at the top and the recesses 13 at the bottom, toco-operate and interlock with the corresponding rib 12 of the next lower course. Preferably, also, the space between the adjacent inclined front face of two tiles in a course may be hollowed out to-still further simulate shingles, spacing the same slightly, and carrying the vertical mortar courses down in a perpendicular manner to the next lower horizontal mortar course. a

In Fig. 2 is illustrated a type of block which is reversible or interchangeable, having a plurality of inclined faces 14 and 15, either being suitable to constitute the exposed or shingle face of the block. This form of block is desirable in case one face or rib shall be damaged in transportation, and also permits a plurality of finished surfaces or textures to be used. One shingle face may be wire cut or otherwise finished and the other smooth, or one of one color and the other of a different shade, and thus a considerable range of architectural variety can be obtained.

The block is provided with horizontal upper and lower faces 16 and 17 and the overlapping ribs 18 and 19 are preferably made suitable for use with an 8" wall structure having a plurality of horizontal air spaces, and the vertical strengthening and reinforcing web 20 and the horizontal web 21 dividing the said air spaces.

It will be appreciated that I have provided a novel, eflicient and economical building unit and wall construction, combining the advantageous features of a hollow clay building unit of relatively large size and yet with the architectural features and possibilities of a shingle wall construction. My shingle tile not only has an inclined rain shedding and protecting face, but also the load carrying wall building body portions,

together with an efficient interlock, protection for the horizontal mortar joint, guarding, bounding and concealing the same, preventing moisture, frost or the liketfrom working therethrough, with all the important and desirable functions of a hollow wall tile, insuring lightness, economy and preventing temperature changes from penctrating through the wall.

To define my novel building unit I have coined the term shingle-tile and therefore use this term to designate, broadly, a clay building unit having the appearance in a wall of a shingle construction, or such clay building unit having an inclined outer finished face, or such a building unit having an overlapping or overhanging portion to shed rain from the next lower course in the manner of overlapping shingles. The foregoing features are believed to be fundamentally novel and therefore to be within the scope of certain of the appended claims, irrespective of whether said building unit is formed as a hollow tile or otherwise.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. A tile provided with opposite faces each terminating at one edge in a flange projecting beyond the body portion, one of said faces being relatively inclined.

2. A tile having a wall section or body provided with lengthwise voids and inclined I parallel faces parallel to the line of its voids,

each terminating at one edge in a flange projectlng beyond the body, as described.

with inclined parallel faces terminating in oppositely extending flanges and having lengthwise voids parallel to said faces.

4. A tile having a body portion provided with horizontally extending voids and with vertically inclined opposite faces, each of said faces terminating at its outer edge in a flange projecting beyond one of the surfaces of the body.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my tile having a body portion providedname to this specification, in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

ARTHUR IIARDONCOURT, JR. Witnesses: I

FLORENCE K. SALIN, MAoK WILLIAMS, 

